Piece of hope
by Musicismylife025
Summary: Life has never been easy in Panem for Finnick Odair. Being a victor at the age of fourteen and having to deal with the trauma he lived at his games was not what he had imagined. He just wanted to survive on his own but soon he will realised that existing is easy and that truly living is a hard work he can't do alone. Luckily for him there is someone to help him with it.
1. Chapter 1

"When was the first time you met Annie?" asked Katniss looking at her friend who was sitting next to her with tears in his eyes and a rope in his hand. The young man started to smile at her question because it brought back happy memories of district 4, of his beloved home.

"I don't remember the exact moment. I knew her all my life, she lived across my house but the first time we said something to each other was after I had won my games. We didn't get alone at the start but we eventually became friends. It was one day at the beach…" he said followed by a pause. Ever since he arrived at district 13 some memories had been kind of blurry but he knew he could never forget her no matter what happened. "Yes, it was at the beach. It was a sunny day and you know how horrible the nightmares and the memories are after the games so I went to the beach to get away from everyone…"

* * *

It was a sunny day in district 4 like any typical day. Everyone was working at the docks or at the markets and Finnick Odair, the newest victor, had just come home from his victory tour. He hated everything around him, his new house, the fortune he had, everything. He was curled up in his room with the door lock and he couldn't helped crying. He just felt so guilty. His parents had tried to help him but it was useless. Finnick didn't even wanted to be around them. In fact he didn't wanted to be around anyone. So he went to the beach searching for solitude.

Beaches in district 4 were normally crowed but Finnick had a beach for his own at the other side of the district.

It was really far from the docks that's why nobody ever came to it, despite that it was a beautiful beach. When he arrived at the beach he was surprised to find a girl sitting at the shore with a large net in her lap. The girl was wearing a green dress and her hair was long and tangled. Finnick could feel his anger rise, he wanted to be alone but why did she had to be here today at his beach. He walked up to her but she didn't even flinch at his presence because she had all her attention on the net she was knotting.p

"Hey. Annie, right?" asked Finnick trying to sound as calmed as possible. The girl looked at him for a while and she just nodded with her head. The victor could tell that she didn't wanted him around either. "Ok, so here is the thing…I would really appreciated if you could go somewhere else. I really want to be alone right now"

"This is a public beach. I can be here if I want to, just because you are a victor doesn't mean that you own everything" she said back to him looking him in the eyes. It wasn't the answer the boy was waiting for, usually people treat him like a hero so they did everything he said. Finnick hated that but he had grown accustomed to it.

"Look If you want an autograph or something I could give it to you another time but right now I would really like to be left alone, please"

"I came here to be alone too but you don't see me kicking you out and no, the last thing I want right now is your autograph" said Annie really annoyed. Finnick just stared at her with shock, it was the first time someone from district 4 didn't wanted his attention maybe he misjudge Annie Cresta. "I know it must be hard for you to understand that some of us don't want you around".

"Fine with me. We don't have to interact with one another I'll be doing my thing and you'll do yours" said the victor throwing his shirt in the sand and then he went into the sea for a swim.

It had been three hours since they shared a word. Finnick was now at the shore sitting far from her, he just wanted to cry but he also didn't wanted Annie to see him so weak instead he just stared at the ocean and from time to time he looked at her still working on her net. He had to admit that the net she was knotting was beautiful he had never seen something so complex before.

"You are really good at it" said Finnick looking at the net that was still sitting in her lap.

"I thought you said that we didn't have to interact with one an other" said the girl with a really calm voice, that didn't sound annoyed.

"I know. It's just that I had never seen something like that before it looks really difficult."

"It is" she answered and continued with her work while Finnick couldn't stop watching her finger tying so many nots at the same time. "What do you mean with that you have never seen a net before? You are from district 4. How on earth have you never seen a net?"

"What I mean was that I had never seen a net so…different like that before" he said and his words where follow by a long silence between the two of them. Finnick felt kind of graceful that Annie was there, seeing her working on the net helped him to stop thinking about the games. "Could you teach me how to do something like that?" asked the young victor. He was looking for a distraction from everything that happen in the games and in the capitol and he thought that this may be perfect for him.

"Why would I do that? Besides… why do you, Finnick Odiar, want to learn how to make a net?"

"I don't know I just think it might help me get my mind out of things" he said with a more serious tone. Annie didn't wanted to teach him but she could see something more behind his words. She felt that Finnick was hurt in the inside and she couldn't help pity him for that.

"Alright but you have to do something in return"

"What do I have to do?"

"We need someone to help us with the deliveries at the market and I don't want to admit it but your presence could help the business a lot. They will pay you and it will only be for a couple of month until we find someone else"

"Ok, I will do it" said Finnick without thinking it twice. He actually wanted to work at the market that meant that he didn't have to spend the whole day in his new house. The house that was given to him as a reward for killing innocent children. Annie was kind of surprise at his respond she thought that he would take his words back after her condition but he did the exact opposite. They spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach together. Annie was teaching Finnick the basic knots but the young man was really impatient although he was trying to stay calmed and paid a lot of attention to his teacher.

"I should get going. It's starting to get really dark" said Annie while she was standing up.

"I'll walk you home besides I am going in that direction I want to visit my old house" said Finnick. He missed his old home near the docks, sure it was really small and it didn't had everything that his house at the victor village had but he found it more comforting. It brought back happy memories while the other house represented his nightmares.

"So how is everything at school?" Finnick asked Annie who was walking beside him. Ever since he became a Victor he hadn't come back to school. It was really common that children in the districts stopped attending to school specially in the poor districts but four was not an exception.

"I don't know I stopped going six months ago"answered Annie with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Do you miss it?"

"Yes, I had always liked school. Most of my friends still go so now we don't see each other so often as we used to"

"Then why did you stopped going if you liked it that much?"

"I needed to take care of other things. It was for the best at the end, besides I kind of like my job so that at least is good. Why did you stopped going?"

"It just wouldn't be the same. After you win the game people start to treat you different like you are some kind of god or some shit like that, but I do miss it a lot"said Finnick he missed doing normal things that kids his age did like hanging out with their friends or going to school but despite his popularity in Panem he didn't had many friends, in fact his only true friend was Mags, district 4 oldest victor and his former mentor.

When they arrived at Annie's house they could hear glass shattering and a scream coming from the inside. It startled Finnick. Since his games any loud noisy kind of freaked him out. He knew that Annie's father had a bad reputation in the district for being always drunk and lazy at his work but he could related somehow to the screams he was hearing, they sounded like his voice every time he had a nightmare.

"I should get in. So…I see you tomorrow at the market?" said Annie standing on her door before entering her home.

"Yeah, that was the deal after all. Then we can go to the beach so you can teach more about knotting... Is every thing alright in there?" asked Finnick looking at the net she was holding in her hands all curled up. Annie answer with a nod a entered her home immediately little by little the screams started to fade and small sobs where left in it's place.

The young victor cross to the other side of the street where his old house was. Finnick always felt nostalgic when he was there but at the same time a feeling of comfort and warmness was present in his old home. The house was really small, it only had three bedrooms and one bathroom, it was nothing compared to his mansion in the victor village. He missed living in the old house so much. It was the only place where he could really think of hope and happiness. He had lived there his whole lived and all his happy memories came from it. He remember how not so long ago he had been laying on his bedroom with a smile across his face and with out all the fears he had now. He walked inside and stared at the photographs that were still there of his family. He entered his bedroom and sat down on the floor with his head against his bed. Finnick couldn't hold it anymore. The tears started to run down his face and they didn't stopped until he felt asleep.

* * *

When he woke up he felt miserable. He had a massive head ache from all the crying and his neck was really sore. Finnick could tell it was early because of the fog that was outside his window. He made no attempt to stand up, he just wanted to stay there forever with out the capitol bothering and threatening him. Suddenly he remember the deal he had made with Annie so he got up and took a shower before heading to the markets.

Finnick rarely went to the docks because he felt everybody looking at him and today was not exception but his mind was focus on his deal with the young Annie Cresta. She was talking to another girl in one of the stands and as he came closer she noticed him and made her way towards him with a serious expression on her face like always.

"Come with me so I can introduce you to my boss"she said while Finnick gave her a small smile. He followed her to the centre of the markets where a familiar man was writing on an old notebook.

"Hey Brian, this is the guy I was telling you about. I am sure you know his name" said Annie trying her best not to roll her eyes. The man expression was angry but it started to softened at the sight of the victor. Finnick realised that he knew this man.

"Finnick, boy, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you since you came back. You disappear completely, how is your mother doing?" said the man giving Finnick a small hug and a pat on the back. Brian was an old friend of the Odairs and he was a very caring man. He was just forty years old but he looked so much younger and his smile was warm and friendly. Finnick did miss him a lot. This deal with Annie was so much better than what he had thought.

"It's nice to see you Brian. It really has been a long time since we saw each other. Why don't you come down to the victors village? I'm sure my mother would love to see you"

"Yeah, that would be real good but tell me something, why does district 4 newest victor need a job for?"

"I made a deal with Annie besides now that I know that you are going to be my boss I am going to enjoy working here" said Finnick smiling to Annie, who was besides him.

"It's amazing to see you boy. Right now I am taking care of some work related stuff but I really would love to talk to you and your mother. Annie is going to teach you everything you need to know about the business if you have questions she is the one who will answer all of them. The best employee I ever had really" said Brian while Annie smiled shyly at his comments.

Finnick and Annie said goodbye to Brian and made their way to the store. They spent the whole afternoon storing boxes and delivering thing all across the district. Annie was right after all, his presence did helped the business. Everybody who saw Finnick working in the stall made their way to it and started to order all sorts of things just to have a little chat with him. The job was complicated but he enjoyed it a lot, besides he didn't think about the games at all during the whole day and he had seen Brian again which made him happy to know that he still had people who didn't see him as a monster or as a hero. Brian saw Finnick just as he was, a teenage boy no different than the other.

When they finish their shift they made their way to the beach to work on the other part of the deal. Annie was quiet as usual but she seemed to be less bother by his presence.

"How do you know Brian?" she said breaking the silence when they were sitting on the sand with nets and lose ropes in their laps.

"He is a friend of the family. My father and him knew each other when they were little but they lost touch, and then he met my mother and they became good friends. When my mom started to date my father Brian hang out with them too. He is a really cool guy. We used to go fishing together in my fathers boat" said Finnick smiling fondly at the memory.

"What happen? Why did you lost touch?"

"The games happen. It is not so wonderful as everybody thinks" said Finnick not wanting to talk about it. He was happy and he wasn't going to let the games take that away for him now. "What happen yesterday at your house? Your dad…he didn't seem to be…well"

"It's nothing he was just a bit depressed" said Annie and her words were followed by a long silence but it didn't felt uncomfortable it felt nice and peaceful. Finnick had to admit that he enjoyed the small girls presence even if she still hated him. Annie was the person he needed in his life to get out of all his misery. She was helping him more than anybody ever did with out even trying. He owned her a lot.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed if you have any suggestions or ideas for the story be sure to let me now.**


	2. Chapter 2

Two month went by and Finnick was doing his part of the deal with great happiness. He and Annie saw each other nearly everyday if it wasn't on the docks it was on the beach. They started to become more close, even friends. Annie didn't know that much about Finnick's life but her presence seemed to comfort him in an usual way that he couldn't explain. The girl was also doing her part of the deal and he was starting to show some improvement on his knotting skills. He wasn't as great as Annie but he was getting there, in fact he had learned a lot in one month and she had to admit that he was a natural.

Today was a beautiful day on district 4. The sun was shining but it wasn't so intense and the sea had an extraordinary blue colour almost like the same colour of the sky only a bit lighter. Finnick and Annie were sitting on their beach far away from everybody paying a lot of attention to their nets while they enjoy the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks and the ocean smell.

"Annie…do you still hate me?" said Finnick focusing on his friends rather than the knots he was doing on his net.

"I never hated you, Finnick"

"I thought you did because you thought I was greedy and a big show off and to be honest I wasn't very nice to you the first time we met"

"Finnick, I still think you are a show off" said Annie laughing "the difference is that now I can stand you more and if I recall correctly I wasn't very nice to you either"

"Well… anyway I am glad we became friends after all" admitted Finnick. He really was grateful for their friendship. Annie was a good listener and she never made him tell her something he wasn't comfortable talking about specially when it came down to his hunger games. No matter how many months had past the nightmares and memories still haunted him but having a friend made his pain so much easier for him. He knew he owned a lot to the Cresta girl, she was not only a good friend, she also made him see past his sorrow and reunited him with Brian, who was a great help too on his bad days where Finnick couldn't stop seeing the faces of his victims everywhere. Now he had two distractions knotting and working on the docks, at first people where startled to see the great Finnick Odair working on a small market stall but now they were starting to get used to seeing him around and he couldn't be more grateful for that. Who would of thought that the small girl sitting besides him could be such a great help to district 4 most beloved mentor? Annie Cresta was surely underestimated by everyone.

"It's getting late and I need to have dinner. I think I should get going before it gets dark" said Annie while she was standing up from the sand with a bit of worry on her voice.

"I'm having dinner with Mags today. Would you like to join us? She cooks really well"

"Ohh…I don't think it is a good idea I mean I would love too but I don't want to keep my dad waiting and I really want to check on him" said Annie with the same worry on her voice. Finnick understood her behaviour and offered to walk her home and help her carry the nets even if he knew she could easily carry them herself. Annie had a really tense expression on her face and she was worrying at the thought of what was waiting for her at home.

"Are you ok? You seem nervous" asked Finnick as they were walking.

"I just hope everything is alright at home, you know?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"You are right I don't know why I have this feeling that something bad has happened. I guess I am being completely irrational"

"No, you are making complete sense"said the boy with sympathy, he could relate a lot with that feeling of paranoia is how he felt every time he woke up. The fear was so intense that sometime he even vomited before getting out of bed but nothing bad ever happen. His family was alright, Mags was fine and his friends were alive and nobody was after him but Finnick knew that it was a matter of time before that paranoia became real. It was something he liked to ignore.

They didn't say anything else the rest of the way, both of them were lost in their own thoughts. They were so distracted that they almost didn't stopped at her house but when they where standing on the front door the screams and sobbing started to became audible. Annie's father was drunk again…

"Is everything alright with him? He doesn't sound like if he was ok" said Finnick with a serious expression on his face.

"Yes, he just losses himself sometimes when he is alone but when I come home from work he starts to calm down. He just needs someone to bring him back to reality. I know…what you are thinking but he is a good father to me, after all, besides he is all the family I've got"

"Well…I hope he gets better. I really do. See you tomorrow, Cresta" Finnick said goodbye to his friend with a big smile on his face. Annie went inside her home and like last time the sobbing started to fade little by little. Finnick gave one more glance to the Cresta's house before leaving to the victors village.

After Annie told him about his father he realised that they weren't so different after all. Both of them needed someone or something to not go completely crazy and drown in their thoughts. Their pain was cause by past memories. Mr. Cresta tortured himself everyday with the happy and melancholic memories he had of his wife, Annie's mother, who died four years ago. Her death was the tragic incident that every district 4 citizen knew about and Annie's father couldn't even go to the docks without getting petty looks and condolences. He was trap, because it was impossible to forget about her when everybody kept reminding him. Finnick's pain was based on what he did on the games and how guilty and horrible he felt about it, but for the young victor was so much worse. He had to pretend that he enjoyed killing, that he liked the attention of everybody in the capitol and in district 4. He remember the faces of his four victims. He even research more about them but it only made it worse. The hardest moment he had to face after the games was when he went to district 11 and the mother of one of his victims spited on his face and cursed at him. Also the nightmares were present nearly everyday and when he was awake his thoughts didn't leaved him alone either.

When he got to the Victors Village something strange was going on. He was heading towards Mags house but he saw his father standing on the door of his house with a very worried expression on his face and when he saw his son he walked towards him with heavy steps.

"Finnick…I know you were going to Mag's but some capitol people want to talk to you. They say that if you refuse they will tell president Snow about it. They have also told us that he order them to talk to you only" said his father hesitating a little bit. As the victor heard his words he began to shake. Why would Snow want him?

Finnick just nodded and follow his father inside their home, where his mother was trying to make a friendly conversation with the strangers.

"Mr. Odair, is nice to see you" said one of them shaking Finnick's hand. "We are sorry for entering without a former invitation but we have straight orders from our president to take you to the capitol right now. You don't need to bring anything, everything you need will be given to you there"

"Right now? But I have things to do tomorrow I can't just go" said Finnick politely. He could feel his mothers hand shaking against the dining table and his father had a strange expression of confusion on his face.

"President Snow says that if you refuse to go with us there will be consequences"

"Don't worry about work Finnick. Go have some fun, my boy. We all know how much you enjoy being in the capitol" lied his father while giving his son a pat on the back. Finnick agreed to go with them but he said his goodbyes to his parents. When he hug his mother she whisper in a really small voice "don't trust anybody from there. Be careful".

Finnick was very confused. He was certain that his parents didn't know about Snow's strange request but why did they thought that it was something bad? Why didn't Snow call him himself rather than talk face to face? As he bordered the train all of this thoughts where running through his head. He knew that getting nervous wasn't going to solve anything so he tried to get distracted. All he needed was a rope but there was none at his reach. Annie would probably get angry at him for not going to work tomorrow and Brian will most definitely kill him without a second thought. All he could do was wait.

When he got to the Capitol, he was taken to a big white mansion that had a majestical garden with lots of roses and an avox greeted him in the door. The women made a signal for him to follow her so he did and they both went up the stairs to a study room with a desk, a lot of stands fill with books and two chairs. Finnick had never seen books so old, in fact the only books he had ever seen was some boring text books about the story of Panem in his school in district 4. When he was picking up a book Snow came in with a strange glare.

"Mr. Odair. It's such a pleasure to see you again. Please go ahead and take a sit"

"The pleasure is mine" answer Finnick shacking hands with the old man and taking a seat in front of the main desk.

"I can see you are quite interested in literature…"

"Well not really. We don't have that many books in my district" said the boy impatiently. Why was he taking so long? He just wanted all of this to be over, been with the president was very intimidating.

"Such a shame. Books are really important in our intellectual development" said Snow and then he made a pause where none of the two said a word. "You are probably wondering why I call you in here? Well Finnick I am sure you know that you are the one of the few victor that received a lot of sponsors during their games".

"Yes sir I do know and I am very thankful for that"

"It's not me who you have to thank. The reason I call you here is because I require your service. I just want you to make some public appearance in some parties and escort a few ladies who will be delighted to see you".

"It will be an honour sir I am sure I can do a good job" said Finnick thinking carefully his words. What Snow has just told him was weird and uncomfortable he knew there was more behind it. "I just got a question. When will I be returning to district 4? I am just worried about work" he asked quietly.

"In two weeks. Is there a problem with that?"

"Not at all sir. I know I will have a wonderful time".

"You sure will. Well your first party will start in two hours so I trust your stylist will get you ready in time. It was wonderful to talk to you Mr. Odair" said Snow offering him his hand again. Finnick took it and he could feel an evil glare on him as he left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Finnick left the capitol after two long and horrible weeks. He was on the train on his way home when he started to cry. He felt dirty, used and he couldn't get the taste of those many old women out of his mouth. One of them even told him that she couldn't wait until they fucked each other again. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to die. Now he didn't just have the face of his victims in his head but also the faces of the women that wanted him liked if he was some kind of toy. He didn't wanted to go home. He didn't know how he was supposed to face his loved ones with out feeling guilty. He knew it wasn't his fault, because there was no other option. Snow threatened him when he went to talk to him.

"I wish to speak to the president. Don't even try to stop me" said Finnick as he entered the mansion running from the guards but they didn't even followed him. He run to the same studio where he had been before and to his surprise Snow was waiting for him with a wide smile.

"Mr. Odair. It's so wonderful to see you again so soon. What is troubling you?"

"You didn't tell me what kind of escort I was. This woman's are all over me like if I was their property. Some of them wanted me to have sex with them. This is just unacceptable" said Finnick angrily.

"Well in a way you are their property. They have paid a lot for you company. You should do everything they ask you to no matter how crazy it is. You should enjoy it, you get to fuck so many womens" said Snow laughing to himself.

"What? You are completely crazy I refuse to do something like that. What's your problem I am only 15?"

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to but is my duty to inform you that there will be consequences if you resist. Your parents they are wonderful people I am sure it will be such a shame if something unfortunate were to happen to them"

"You wouldn't dare!" Shouted Finnick but Snow just laughed at him.

"Try me Mr. Odair and you will see what I can be capable of " said Snow and Finnick knew he wouldn't hesitate to execute his words so the young victor just told him that he would continue with his job and left with out saying nothing else and with angry tears forming in his eyes.

Finnick remembered every word of that conversation, because it felt like if it was eating him alive. He had sex with one of them. It was awful he always thought of sex as something fun that you do when you are madly in love but it was nothing compare to that. She was an old married women, some parts of her body were wrinkly and she seemed so happy to know that she was her first. He couldn't remember her name, he didn't want to, but her face it was something he couldn't forget. He felt like if Snow had taken everything away from him. He took away his innocence, his dignity, his happiness and his life. Snow was the most horrible man he had ever met.

When he got to district 4 there was nobody in the station because it was 3 o'clock in the morning. The young Victor didn't feel like going to his mansion on the victors village where his parents were probably asleep so he went to the best place he knew, his old house near the beach. There he spent the rest of the morning awake. He just couldn't sleep, his memories just wouldn't leave him alone. When the sun started to rise he got up and didn't think twice before heading to his favourite beach. Seeing the waves calmed him and surprisingly he felt asleep on the sand. Hours past when he heard a familiar voice trying to wake him up.

"Finnick! Finnick! Wake up!" Said the voice while someone was shaking him nervously. The young man started to open his eyes and the first thing he saw were a pair of beautiful sea green eyes staring at him. "Fuck! Finnick. You scare me to death. I thought something had…" he didn't let her finish her sentences because he gave her a really big hug. It was the first time they had hugged each other. The young victor was just so happy to see a friendly face.

"Annie, I missed you a lot"

"I have too, but Finnick where the hell where you? It has been two weeks and nobody knew a thing about you. Your parents told me that you were in the capitol but I never thought you would have stayed there so long" said Annie looking directly at this eyes.

"Please, I really don't want to talk about it. How has everything been going around here? Does Bryan want to kill me for missing work? Do you also want to kill me?" said Finnick laughing a bit for the first time in two weeks.

"Surprisingly he is not mad at all. He is just worried about you like all of us. I do kind of want to kill you but for now I am just happy to know you are alive" said Annie and they both chuckled with her words.

"I am really sorry I had to go I just didn't have any other choice. How are my parents and Mags?" He said with a more serious tone.

"You still haven't seen them? Finnick you should go home. They were really worried about you this past two weeks"

"I arrived really early in the morning and went to my old house to spent the rest of the night there, but I couldn't sleep so I went to the beach when the sun started to rise and I felt asleep until you woke me up. What are you going to do right now by the way?

"I was going to the docks. My shift is going to start soon. Do you want to come with me? I am sure Bryan would be very happy to see you" said Annie almost in a pleading tone.

"I…don't know if that is a good idea" said Finnick and they both just stared at the sand in silence for a while. "Ok I'll go with you"

When Finnick and Annie arrived to the markets they were greeted by Tania, a girl who worked with them and was one of Annie's friend. It was obvious she had a crush on Finnick so when she first saw him she hugged him tightly. Annie could only laughed. She thought that they would make a great couple.

"Finnick it's so good to see you we where all worried about you. Where have you been?" she said with a lot of concern.

"I just had to do some work for the capitol. It's nice to see you but right now we have to talk to Brian. Right, Annie?" said Finnick looking for an excuse to get out of the situation. Normally he would have flirted with her a little but Tania reminded him of some of the women's in the capitol that only wanted him because of his looks.

"Oh yeah. Brian wants to talk to us now that Finnick has returned" said Annie intrigued about his friend new behaviour.

"I get it. It was nice to see you again Finnick" said Tania before leaving with a wink meant for the victor. The two friends continue their path while Annie couldn't helped stared at Finnick in shock but she didn't asked because she knew it was related to his last visit to the capitol and Finnick said he didn't wanted to talk about that, so she was trying to respect his decision. Brian was talking to some clients when they found him. When he saw Finnick his face changed into a warm and welcoming expression.

"Where the hell where you? We were all worried sick. Your parents are looking for you like crazy" he said with a completely different expression of anger.

"I'm sorry I was just really busy in the Capitol I didn't do it on purpose"

"You should have called them at least. It was irresponsible of your part to leave for so long and not talk to them even once" said Brian trying to give Finnick a lesson. He was a bit mad at the boy for his behaviour but he couldn't deny that he felt relive and kind of happy to see him.

"Well that is not important right now…at least he is with us now" said Annie with a small smile.

"You are right" said Brian giving Finnick a small hug. The victor felt relieved with that hug and with Annie's attitude. Now he knew how important he was in their lives. "You need to see your parents boy as soon as possible"

"I don't know if I can do that... I just don't feel ready to talk to them"

"Finnick, your parents…they just want to see you and know that you are alright" said Annie with concern. Her words made him feel immediately better. She always had that power of making things better for her friend.

"How about this? We all start working right now and when your shifts are over the three of us can go to your house. Will that make things better probably to have some friends with you?" said Brian to the victor in a more calm tone.

"Yeah, that would make things kind of easier. Thanks Brian" answered Finnick but his friend just nodded his head and went back to his duty in the small business.

The rest of the day went on like that. The three of them working. Brian talking to the customers and Finnick and Annie delivering thing across the district. When the time came they all went to the victors village to Finnick's mansion as they rung the doorbell the young victor felt his arms shaking but he hide it pretty well from his friend. That had became his best quality, hiding his true feelings. He hid his opinions about the capitol, he was hiding the guilt he had from killing innocent people and his disgust when he was assign to escort some old women made of plastic.

"Oh my god, Finnick. We missed you so much. We were worried that you were not coming back home. I am so happy to see you" said his mother giving him a long and strong hug. His father greeted him in the same way. They both welcome Brian and Annie and ask them if they could have lunch with them. They both said yes.

"So how was your time in the capitol?" asked Mr. Odair to his son.

"Really boring. I just went to some meetings with famous people from the capitol. The food was good but the people not so much…I wanted to come earlier but I just couldn't let president Snow down" lied Finnick.

"Well that's such a relief. We were all worried that something bad had happen to you. Mags tried to calmed us by saying that the president probably just wanted to talk to you for some campaign that they usually do with the victors but your mother and me really needed to hear from you. We are so glad that you are here now"

"Oh yeah he did mention that too. I guess my presence will be required there so I will probably have to go to the capitol more often" Finnick lied again. He had to talk to Mags as soon as possible…she was the only one that could helped him. At least he had an excuse now to tell his parents.

"The food is amazing. Thank you so much Miriam for inviting us" said Brian.

"Yes, thank you Mrs. Odair. I wish my father could cook as well as you do" added Annie.

"Your making me blush now. So tell me guys, how is everything going in the market? Do you have a lot of clients"

"It's getting better. Now that Finnick is working with us everybody suddenly wants to buy things from our stall. I'm telling you this boy is the key to an amazing business, plus Annie is the best worker I could have. I trust her with everything" said Brian smiling to the two kids that where in front of him. They continue their lunch talking and laughing from time to time with some of the anecdotes Brian and Mr. Odair had about their childhood. When everybody had finished their lunch Finnick and Annie decided to go to the beach to continue working on their knotting lesson while Brian stayed with the Odairs to chat some more.

The beach was really quiet not even the waves were making so much noise and there was nobody around to bother them. Finnick and Annie sat in the sand in their usual place and startee their lesson they didn't say much but Annies though couldn't leave her alone.

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to" said the girl and her friend just nodded his head. "Why did you turn Tania down today? You usually want to talk to her. She is really nice I think you two could make a wonderful couple"

"Tania is very pretty and yeah she is nice, but I feel that she only likes me because of my looks and because I am a victor. She doesn't know the real me"

"Honestly Finnick, who does? Nobody can never know a person completely. Everybody hides something even if they don't like to hide it. It inevitable"

"Where did this whole philosophy came from?" said the victor laughing at Annie for her words. It was nice for Finnick to have real friends that care deeply about him.

* * *

When the sun started to come down he walked Annie to her house and said goodbye to her. He knew where he had to go next. Mag's house. When he arrive the old women was sitting in her porch on her rocking chair as she saw Finnick her eyes started to water and she stood up and guide him inside. She obviously knew what had happen to the young man.

"How are you my boy? I…am so sorry for everything I just didn't know how to tell you. This…this inhumane thing that they make you do happens to almost all of us. I…I am so sorry my boy" said Mag's with tears in her face. She was shaking and her feet couldn't hold her any longer so she sat in the nearest chair she had. Finnick kneeled in front of her and dried her tears with a napkin. "Aren't you angry at me, my boy?"

"Angry? At you? I can never be angry with you. Thanks to you I am alive and this thing that Snow makes us do is not your fault. You are like a second mother to me Mag's and I understand why you didn't tell me before besides there is was nothing you could have done to stopped it"

"Sometimes I wonder when did you become so mature?" she said more calm and with a small smile in her face.

"Well… I have learn a lot from Annie. Mag's does it ever stop? Are you still doing it?"

"For me it stopped when I turned 40 as you get older you are less desirable, but I am afraid that it will probably last a couple of more years for you. You must understand Finnick that you can never refuse to any of Snows commands. He knows everything. If you refuse he will threaten to kill one of you love ones. Yo must be very careful to who you talk to, you can't trust many people. The less you tell to your friends and parents the better"

"But Mag's there must be something we can do. Snow can't control all the victors like these and get away with it, if the world knew about this things wouldn't be the same. Maybe if we all come together we could…"

"No Finnick" said Mag's interrupting him. "Many of us have tried to do that before and trust me it has never work. It gets even worse. When I was younger I felt just like you but I learnt the hard way that making a rebellion is not that easy. It takes time, years, decades, even centuries and we are just simple victors we don't have the people to do something like that"

"So what?...are we just gonna live like these forever?"

"One day my boy I am sure that things will change and we will all be free to do what we want and be whoever we want to be without someone like Snow to make our lives miserable. I might not be there to see it but you may be there and everybody will be so happy and you won't have to worry about anything anymore"

"I hope that day comes soon" said Finnick with sadness.


	4. Chapter 4

The smell of her skin was like plastic. Her face had so many surgeries that it looked like it could explode and her body was "perfect". For the people in the capitol Estella was perfection in human form but for Finnick she was just cold and ugly plastic. She was one of his regulars and she was truly crazy. She was married to one of the wealthiest man in Panem but they both knew that they cheated on each other with many different people. That for Finnick was definitely not love.

"You are amazing. You are getting so much better at this and you are so young. It's incredible" said Estella lying naked in bed next to him. "I have to give you something in return" she continue by getting up from the bed and then she handed him some money.

"It's ok. I don't want your money I already have a lot that I don't use, just keep it" he said trying to hide his disgust. Accepting the money was to accept the fact that he was a prostituted besides he really didn't needed.

"Are you sure? It's the least I can do for such an amazing time with you" she said in a flirtatious way kissing his neck making him have sex with her again. He wanted to refuse, to say no but Snows words were in his head 'There will be consequences'.

* * *

Everything was better for him in district 4. The smell, his family and friends, even the food made him feel like if he was in heaven. The year was just starting and there was plenty of things to do in the markets. Brian, Annie and him were working really hard lately but Finnick enjoyed every bit of it. He was with his friends in district 4 laughing and sometimes even arguing but it felt so much better than been by himself in the capitol having sex with strangers.

When he arrived at district 4 he headed home to take a shower and have breakfast with his parents and then he went to the beach to find Annie. It was a Sunday so they both didn't have to go to work that day. When he got to the beach he saw Annie sitting in the sand with a net over her legs very peacefully singing a song to herself.

"Hey Annie" said Finnick and the girl immediately smiled.

"Hey Finn. How was your two days at the capitol?"

"Same as always, really boring. I just wanted to come home" he said while his friend watched him with a little bit of pity in her eyes. "The good thing is that I got these" said Finnick showing Annie a big book with a blue cover and gold letters in the title.

"Les Miserables" read Annie. "Where did you get this from? Nobody is allowed to read books that don't figure in the capitols system. You can really get in trouble for this" she added with concern.

"I don't think anybody will find out besides they got more important stuff to worry about. Have you ever heard of this book? It was originally written in a language called French by Victor Hugo in the year 1800 and something. It's about a revolution, friendship and love"

"I must admit it sounds... interesting but you should be more careful with the things that you buy in the black market, Finn. You never know who's watching you"

"You are overreacting like always. It's alright nobody saw me. Do you want to read it together?" asked Finnick. They both sat for hours on the beach reading to each other about the life of Jean Valjean and how the old country of France lived. They were immersed in their reading when they spotted a familiar boat near the dock. It was Brian's boat but he wasn't alone, there was another man on the boat. Finnick and Annie had never seen the stranger but they both looked happy laughing about something.

"Who do you think is the other man?" asked Annie.

"Probably some old friend. Let's go and have a chat with them" suggested the young man. They both got up and walked to Brian's boat, when the man saw them he jumped of surprise but greeted them and invited them in.

"Tom, this are the kids which I work with. I am sure you must know Finnick" Brian introduced them laughing.

"Well who doesn't know the great Finnick Odair? Nice to meet you" said the man named Tom.

"And this is Annie. The best employee I ever had"

"You are so pretty. Finnick is a really lucky guy" said Tom shacking Annie's hand while Brian just gave himself a face palm and looked slightly embarrassed.

"Oh no, Finnick is not my boyfriend we are just friends"

"Are you sure? Because Brian said to me that you guys…" said Tom but stopped when Brian was making him sings to cut it. Finnick and Annie just stared at Brian with curiosity as to what he may have said to his friend, Tom, about them.

"So…is anybody hungry?" asked Brian and they all started to laugh about the weirdness of the situation but they didn't mind. A lot of people have mistaken them for a couple before.

"What do you have there?" asked Tom pointing to Finnicks book while they all where seated on the boat.

"Oh, is a book. Les miserables. Here have a look"

"My father read this to me when I was a little boy. It's a wonderful story. It brings back lots of memories. Where did you get it from. Black market?" He asked and Finnick just nodded. "I can't believe that this types of books are prohibited. They can't make any harm to anybody"

"It's because they want to control us. They always do that. Reading books makes people smart. Smart people are not easy to manipulate and to handle" said Finnick with a bit of anger.

"You should be more careful with what you say… They do control us. They always have. We have to be smarter than them" said Brian not just to Finnick but to everyone. "Let's just eat now. I am starving". They continue their evening eating and talking. The man, Tom, turned out to be a really nice and fun person to hang around with. Finnick was curious about him and his friendship with Brian because he had never seen the man before in his life. Tom was a fisherman like his father and he lived near the docks. He wasn't married but he said that he was in a relationship with someone.

"You know Finnick I have a lot of books that I inherited from my father I can lend you and Annie some if you kids want to read them" said Tom.

"That would be great sir. Thank you so much" answer Annie for the both of them.

"Call me Tom. Formalities are for the capitol people and for the peacekeepers" said the man laughing slightly.

"Well thank you so much for lunch. It was really nice. I didn't know you could cook Brian but I have to go now. My dad should be waiting for me" said Annie standing up.

"I'll walk you home. Thanks guys for everything" said Finnick and the men said their goodbyes to them with a smile on their faces.

"Stay safe kids. I will see you tomorrow I hope you are not late for your shift again, Finnick"

"It won't happen again I swear" said the victor chuckling. They both left the boat and started to walk to Annie's house, but Finnick realised that he had forgotten his towel in Brian's boat so he and Annie turned around and when they were nearer to it, they saw the two men talking really close to each other. They were laughing again and Brian had a more calm and happy expression they had never seen him display before and as they were laughing Brian gave Tom a slow kiss in the lips. They both weren't expecting to see that.

"You know what? I don't really need that towel. Let's just go" said Finnick and Annie just nodded. He didn't how to feel about what he had just seen. Usually those types of feelings only occur between a man and a women but is it wrong if it doesn't happen that way?

"Do you think is weird?" asked the young man after a long silence but Annie didn't seemed to understand what he was referring to. "That Brian loves a man and not a women?" he added.

"I don't know but who are we to say what's right or wrong? I am just happy to know that he is happy and loved… I have never seen him like that before. He looks at Tom in a different way. My parents used to looked at each other like that and I wish that one day I will look at someone in the same way. Finn, love is no different between them" said Annie and Finnick smiled at her because it was true. Love was just…love after all.

"You are right. I just wish he could trust us enough to tell us more about his life…".

"So your birthday is tomorrow. What do you want for a present?"

"Nothing really. I am just happy to spend it here rather than the capitol besides we got worked tomorrow and I have to go to the stupid district party at night. By the way are you going?" asked Finnick. The district party was an event held in some districts, usually in the ones that were richer and closer to the capitol, anyone from the district could attend but not many people attended, except for the teenager and some adults who wanted to have a good time.

"I don't think so I really hate those party's. Why do you have to go anyway? You hate them just as much as I do"

"All victors are obligated to go because we are public figures and we have to represent the district but you have to go Annie it will make everything easier if you were there…besides is my birthday, remember?" said Finnick trying to convince her.

"Have I told you how much I can hate you sometimes?" joked Annie. "I can't believe I am about to say this…but yes I will go if that is what you want" added Annie kind of annoyed.

"Thank you Annie. I promise we will have an amazing time" said Finnick spinning her in a breathtaking hug while the young women laughed and asked to be back in the ground. When she was back in the ground they both didn't move for a while, still in each others arms and laughing it was the right scenario for something to happen but they both knew that could never happen, they were just friends. They had always been just that. "So… I will see you tomorrow before the party at my house to have lunch together, right?"

"Yes definitely" she said and then walked to her house with a small smile in her face.

As Finnick walked to the victors village he began to wonder what that moment had meant with Annie, his best friend. Was he crazy to think that there was something more behind it? Could he possibly have feelings for her?

"What am I even thinking? Of course me and Annie are just friends. She is like a little sister to me" though the victor not so sure of his statements.

The next day started with his dad making him breakfast in bed and a present from his mother, that was a telescope she had bought from an old friend of his. His dad gave him a speech about how proud he was of him and how he couldn't have a better son, while his mum almost cried telling him how much she loved him. The day had started well and Finnick had to admit that it was the first time after his game that he was feeling actually happy and relax. Specially when all his friends came to have lunch.

"Thanks Mags it was just what I needed" said Finnick opening his present, that was a new fishing equipment. His had just broke so it was the perfect gift.

"I hope you like it my boy" said the old women and Finnick got up to give her a kiss in the cheek to tell her how much she meant to him. Mags was one of the persons he loved the most, she was like his second mother. Finnick felt that he was in debt with her for her mentoring and the things she did for him after the games.

"Here open my present. It is actually from Tom and me. He helped me pick the sort of books that you may enjoy" said Brian giving the young victor three books wrap in news paper and with a small bow made with rope, that Annie had probably done because Finnick knew Brian couldn't tie a single knot well without her help. The three books had their original own cover. They first one was called how to kill a mockingbird, the second one was named Poems by Walt Whitman and the last one was 12 years a slave.

"Thank you so much Brian. Tell Tom I really appreciate what he did" said Finnick and they all continue with their lunch. It was great. Annie and him couldn't help laughing at Mags story's about the peacekeepers and how they where just a bunch of idiots. Even Brian chuckled from time to time. Finnick's parents where just so happy to see their son laughing after experiencing all his breakdowns and isolation.

"Brian are you and…Tom going to the party tonight?" asked Finnick before everyone left.

"Hell no. I hate those types of parties and Tom I don't think he has the intention of going either" answer the man blushing a little when Tom was name.

"I am not going either. I know victors are obligated to go but Snow doesn't really care if I show up, that is the most amazing privileged of being old. I don't have to follow any of his sick orders anymore" said Mags trying to hide her anger at Snow.

"Well thank you so much for coming everybody" said Mr. Odair trying to change the subject when he felt Mags anger building up.

Finnick said goodbye to everybody and after having lunch with Annie and his other friends. He realised that he couldn't have any feelings rather than friendship with Annie. He appreciated her company because she was a great person and friend. She understood him better than the rest and that was why they got along so well because they care about the other. Having feelings for her felt close to impossible to him…at that moment.


	5. Chapter 5

The district party was the biggest event held in the district, after the reaping. It was a very sophisticated party where the most arrogant and young people liked to go to show of themselves and to meet new people. It was the third time Finnick was attending. The first time was before his games, he went with some friends out of curiosity. They ended up meeting a lot of girls who they never talk to again except for Robert who dated one of does girls for nearly a year. After his games he didn't talk to them anymore. They were jealous of all the attention he was getting, if they only knew how much Finnick hated his life now. The second time he didn't wanted to go but all victors had to go, specially the newest victor. As he was waiting for Annie near the door a group of girls his age came to him.

"Hi Finnick… do you remember us? We used to go to the same school" said one of the girls from the group. To be honest he couldn't remember. This types of situations used to happen a lot to him. People who never had acknowledged him before his games suddenly wanted to talk to him.

"Sorry I don't"

"Well to be honest we didn't talk that much in school but after seeing your game we just knew we had to take advantage of you being here" said another girl.

"Yes…everything you did was just so amazing. You were so brave. The whole district was rooting for you" said one of the girls playing with his tie. The four girls were nearly in top of him. They kept touching him without his consent.

"You know? I almost die when you were fighting with that horrible guy from district 1 but I knew you would beat him"

"We all did and your outfit at the tribute parade was so gorgeous. Nobody knew how hot you were until that moment" one of them said and they all giggled.

Luckily for Finnick, Annie had just arrived. He thought that she looked beautiful in her plain lilac dress without sleeves. In the last few weeks he had started to notice that Annie was pretty…really pretty but he just didn't know why. Sure she was skinny and she was not the most beautiful women in the world but she was different. It was until that moment when Finnick realised what make her so pretty… Annie was natural and all the things she did were genuine. She was his friend not because he was a victor in fact she didn't even wanted to be her friend when they first met. Those girls could never have the beauty Annie had. He felt so lucky to know her.

"Making new friends?" joked the girl when he had walked up to her.

"Not at all. You look beautiful by the way" said the victor and Annie couldn't help blushing.

"Why am I nervous? Why the hell am I blushing. It's just Finnick" she thought to herself.

"Can we please go somewhere else? Those girls are really starting to scare me" he said interrupting her thoughts. She just nodded in return and they moved to another area.

"Now I understand why you wanted me to come. Do they always get this crazy around you?"

"Yes, every time they see me by myself they act that way. I hate it I feel like a piece of meat"

"I am sorry, Finn. I had no idea it was that bad. I am glad I am here whit you"

"Let's not get sentimental. I told you we were going to have a good time and I want to fulfil that promise. Do you want to dance?" said Finnick to his best friend laughing.

"What? Are you serious? You know I don't know how to dance"

"I'll teach you. Come on it will be fun" he said offering his hand to her. She thought about it for a minute but she took it at the end. They both went to the dance floor Finnick tried to teach her how to dance but eventually gave up and they just started to laughed at her horrible dance moves while all the other girls were shooting Annie death glares for dancing with him but they couldn't care less they were happy and that was the only thing that matter to them.

"I am going to look for some water" said Annie still laughing. He just nodded and sat at the bar to wait for her.

"Hi Finnick… I was right you are even more handsome in person" said a women in her early 30s that was sitting next to him. The women came closer to him and started to run her finger across his chest in a flirtatious way. "I know you don't know who I am but I have pay a lot for your company after the party so you will go with me to the capitol tonight. I hope you can succeed my expectations. I am really looking forward to seeing you under those circumstances" she said whispering in his ear while putting her hand in his leg and then leaving after giving him a kiss in the cheek.

The young victor felt like vomiting. He was at home and Snow had managed to get to him in his birthday. It wasn't coincidental the president was trying to give him a lesson. He felt his heart racing faster and he wanted to cry but he couldn't do that in front of everyone so he went to the back door that let to the beach. He sat in the sand and the tears started to come but he knew he couldn't let them go for to long or he wasn't going to be able to stop. The sounds of the waves calmed him. It reminded him of those happy times with his parents, where he was a little kid and he didn't had to worry about Snow or the reaping or the guilt that came from his games. He was just having a normal childhood. As he started to remember his games a familiar voice interrupted his memories.

"Finn, are you alright? I was looking for you every where. Did something happen when I was gone?" said Annie sitting next to him on the sand.

"I…I just thought that he didn't had any control over me here, in my district. You know maybe I deserve all of this. The games, the guilt, the things I have to do for Snow I deserve them. I am a murderer after all. Why are you even friends with me, Annie? Don't you know everything I have done?" he said with tears in his eyes.

"What are you talking about? It's not your fault. All the things that you had to do weren't your fault, you didn't have any other choice. You did what you had to do to survive. You don't deserve to be haunted by something you had no control over. I know you and I know that you have a good heart and that is what matters. You feel so guilty about all the things you were forced to do and that just shows how big and good your heart is. You are the best friend I could have wished for, even if you were really annoying at the start, you mean so much to me Finnick and to a lot of people. I didn't give you your present before because I was embarrassed of it but I just hope you like it" said Annie handing him a small green box. It was necklace she had made with rope and other things from the district. "I know is not much and that it's too simple compared to your other gifts but I made it for you to always have a piece of home when you go to the capitol"

"It's the best give I had today. Thank you it means a lot to me" said Finnick giving her a warm and long hug and the same thing that happen the day before happened again. It was the perfect moment but they both didn't make a move. That was when Finnick realised that he was hopelessly in love with her. He wanted to have a distraction and he thought knotting could help him but his distraction wasn't that it was Annie. It had always been her. She had turn his world up side down. She made things better, she made him happy and she was his friend because of who he was not because of what he was. He didn't even like her at the start but she had slowly…crept out on him.

"Annie I have to go to the capitol before the party ends. I am sorry I really wanted to have a good time with you but Snow wants me to shoot this commercial and I just can't say no. I am sorry"

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. Let's just enjoy the rest of the night together" she said with a smile and touching his cheek for a moment.

Finnick thought in that moment that he and Annie could never be together. He could never give himself completely to her because there will always be another women, another client. She was the most wonderful person he had met. She had saved him from his depression. Annie didn't deserved someone like him, she deserved someone better who could always be there for her and someone who didn't put her in danger. Finnick knew he couldn't have her but he made the mistake of thinking he could conform with being her friend. He was so wrong.

They both returned to the party and enjoyed the rest of the night together. Laughing and dancing. Surprisingly Annie started to get some of his moves at the end of the night. She wasn't that bad of a dance after all. Finnick wished for those moments with Annie to never end. He dread going to the capitol with that other women. He just wanted to have a simple birthday with his love ones but Snow never made things simple for the young victor. So now he felt stuck with having to fuck a stranger while having to hide his true feelings from Annie and to everyone around him. Only Mags could know about what he had to do for Snow. He felt she was the only one that could understand his situation.

As the party was coming to an end he had to say goodbye to Annie. He hugged her and realised that she was hurt. Her eyes could tell everything because just as Finnick was starting to have feelings for her she was questioning if their relationship was just friendly. So as he left with another women she felt a weird sensation in her chest.

"Finnick and I are just friends" she thought to herself not so sure if that was true anymore. Just as she was leaving the party a boy, a year older than her, came towards her. The boy had brown and dull hair but his eyes brought more live to him. They were a light sky blue colour.

"Hey I am David. I don't know if you remember but we used to go to school together" he said narrowing a friendly hand to her.

"Yes, I remember. You where one of Finnick's friends. I am Annie by the way".

"Nice to meet you, Annie. Are you and Finnick…you know together?" he said with a friendly smile. She tried to hide her blushing at his question. Why was she blushing? Many people had asked her that before and she had never blushed.

"Oh…No, we are just friends"

"Is such a relief to know that he is not taking the most beautiful girl in the room. He really is an idiot for not going after you" he said and Annie chuckle with nervousness. "Can I walk you home?" asked David.

"I…sure, why not?" she answer. She was about to decline but something about Finnick leaving with that women made her say yes and David's words about him not going after her made her feel mad some how. She knew it was his duty with Snow but she just wished he didn't kept everything in secret from her and from his parents who where concern about his trips to the capitol. She just hoped he could have more trust in her.

As the young victor left with the women he couldn't help feeling guilty. The scent of her perfume was making him nauseas and as they got of the train and into a limousine his hands started to shake a little. He had done this so many time but he still felt nervous, used and dirty. He just couldn't help those feelings. The women sitting next to him was young compare to his other clients. She was wearing a red dress and her hair was dark like her eyes. Under other circumstances he would have thought she was pretty but she was plastic, like the others. Still Finnick knew he had to satisfy her by putting on his best act. So he started to smile at her in the same flirtatious way she had done before.

"Don't you think is amazing all the buildings and the luxury of the capitol? I know how pretty beaches in your district are but can they really top this?" the women asked him.

"No, it certainly can't" he lied sounding genuine "Sorry but I believe you never told me your name" said the victor touching her cheek.

"My name is Gardenia… Snow told me it was your birthday. I am hopping to take advantage of that" she whisper into his ear again and they started to make out in the back of the limousine.

Her mansion was even bigger than his house at the victors village. It was white and it had a back and front garden. Every single detail of the house was perfect. Seeing all this glamour make the young victor realised that he would never want to lose himself in money. He preferred to live peacefully in a small old house near the beach that didn't have a lot of decorations or a big garden. He just wanted something simple and to spent the rest of his life with Annie and his friends in the beautiful district 4. She was wrong the capitol didn't stand a chance next to those beaches. Everything was fake but back home everything just felt more real, more alive.

When they got to the house Gardenia rushed him to her room and started to take her dress off. As Finnick was taking his shirt off he felt Annie's necklace wraped around his neck. He stopped taking of his pants and lost himself in his memories for a minute.

"Hey…is everything alright?"

"Of course. It couldn't be better"

"Are you ready to have the night of your live?" she said putting her arms around him and kissing him making his way slowly to the bed but he never took the necklace out of his neck. It help him to not forget that part of himself that he had left in district 4. The real him, not the Finnick he had to be for Snow and for all those women's.

Annie was right, now he would always have a piece of her with him no matter where he went.


	6. Chapter 6

Finnick return the next day to district 4, which were good news to him. When he arrived his shift in the market was about to begin so he rushed to his house to take a shower before going there. As he was near the markets he spotted someone familiar heading in the same direction.

"Hi Finnick. I haven't seen you in a long time. How are you, man?" asked David walking next to him.

"I am alright. Just going to work right now" he said trying to end the conversation. He didn't really liked the guy and he wasn't in the mood to talk to him like if they were still friends and nothing had happened.

"Work? Aren't you rich? Do you really need more money?"

"I don't do it for the money. I don't get pay" said the victor. It was true. Brian had try many times to pay him but he had refused to accept the money every single time. He didn't needed, he just wanted to help his friend and spent more time with him, besides it was a good excuse to be more around Annie.

"Ah…I see you are trying to prove you are a hero. Classic of you Odair" David responded laughing.

"I am not trying to prove anything. What are you even doing here?" Finnick said feeling his temper raising, but just as he had finished his sentence they were in front of Brian's stall and David wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

"Hi Annie. It's nice to see you again so soon" said David smiling to her.

"Hi David it's nice to see you too" she said. "Finnick! I thought you were gonna stay longer in the capitol" said Annie when he came closer and she gave him a small hug.

"Yeah I thought so too but I guess it's because the reaping is in two days. I just arrived an hour a go. Do you two know each other?"

"We met yesterday at the party. He offered to walk me home… Brian wanted you to work at the cashier. You should probably talk to him right now" she said. The victor realised what she was trying to do so he left but as he walk to the cashier he could still hear their conversation.

"You know I was just walking around here and I was wondering if you would like to hang out after your shift ends?" asked David to Annie.

"Finnick and I…we have to go somewhere after work. I am sorry"

"How about after that?"

"Ok…why not?"

"Great so I will meet you at the plaza by six?" he said smiling and Annie just nodded at his comment. "Well see you later. Bye Annie" he added as he was leaving.

Finnick couldn't help being jealous. He hated David. He was a bad friend and he didn't deserved someone as wonderful as Annie. The worst thing is that she couldn't see that because he acted like a good person around her and the way he had talked to him assuming he knew everything about his life and acting like he was better bothered the young victor. David was a jerk to Finnick. He didn't even liked him that much when they used to be friends. He was just awful in every way. He didn't understand how Annie couldn't see past his terrible act. He hated him more than before now.

As the young victor was having all of this ideas in his head he couldn't concentrate in his job. He was just grumbling and making small angry noises. Brian noticed this and decided to talk to him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I've been watching you and you seem like stabbing someone. This is not good for the customers. You know what? You can't do this right now… Tania come here. Handle the cashier, please. Finnick will take care of the packing" he said calling her and drugging Finnick somewhere else. "So…are you gonna tell me now?"

"Look Brian… I just feel frustrated. I will try to continue working and I am sure it will go away somehow, ok? I am sorry for messing things up in the cashier"

"Does it have to do with your trip to the Capitol? Annie told me about it. I didn't though you will come back so soon"

"No, no. It's not about that. Annie is hanging out with this douchbag, David, that used to be my friend and I feel frustrated because she thinks he is a nice guy when he really is just a big idiot who doesn't deserve her"

"I see…so you feel frustrated because you are jealous of this David who Annie seems to have an interest in"

"What? I am not jealous. I am just looking out for her. She's my best friend after all. I don't want her to be with someone like David when she obviously can do so much better"

"So you are telling me that you don't have any feelings for her? Not even a little bit?" asked Brian in his serious expression that he always used to have.

"No, I don't. She's just my friend and I want her to do well" lied Finnick. He knew admitting it could complicate things for him. He and Annie could never be together and he had to convince himself of that but seeing her with David made him mad, really mad. The victor try to calm himself to convince Brian that nothing was going on. The man didn't pushed it any further and told him to continue Tania's job packing.

When they both finished their works they headed to the beach as usual but they both didn't say anything. Finnick didn't know how to talk to Annie about David but when they were sitting in the sand with the nets in their laps he couldn't hold it any longer.

"I don't understand why would you want to hang out with David? He's an idiot. We used to be friends, remember? and I told you how they treated me after the games" he said looking at her.

"I know Finnick but that was two years ago. He has changed. He is actually a really nice person. You two may get along if you gave him a chance and besides I am just starting to know him I can't just make assumptions about him like a lot of people do when they see us together" said Annie but regretted instantly. That was a sensitive subject for him and she wasn't handling it the right way.

"People like David never change and I don't have any more intension of talking to him. He is just so stupid and prejudice. He doesn't deserve you. How can you not see that?"

"You are the one that is being prejudice by saying does things when you don't even know him anymore and how the hell do you even know I am going to hang out with him?"

"I heard you two talking. I didn't mean to do it but I am just watching out for you"

"Right. Good way to watch out for me. You are the best, Finnick" she said with sarcasm. They both remain silent for a while looking at the ocean with anger until he realised that he didn't wanted to be angry at her.

"Look Annie. You are right… I am sorry. The reaping is in two days and I will be gone for a while. I don't want to leave knowing you are angry at me. Please understand that seeing David again is hard and maybe I should give him another chance" he said looking at his friend who had tears in her eyes. "Annie. Whats wrong?"

"Nothing" she said cleaning the tears in her eyes and adopting a more serious tone. "I am just worry about the reaping. I am really scared to get pick… I know that there's no way I could make it out alive and the thought of leaving my father terrifies me"

"You wont get pick. The possibilities are close to impossible. Your name is only there three times and if you do get pick someone would probably volunteer" he said giving her a hug. Finnick had thought about that too lately. It scared him and he knew if she were to become a tribute he would do anything to get her out of there alive.

"I don't want to be angry at you either. Can we just forget about this whole thing?" she said to him and they just continue their time at the beach holding each other trying not to think about the reaping until Annie had to go.

* * *

The day arrived and the whole district got ready for the reaping. It wasn't a happy day for anybody. The children were shaking hoping that their name doesn't come out. Everybody wore their best clothes. Finnick's stylists came early to get him ready for the cameras. He wore a black suit that fitted him perfectly and his main stylist, Plumeria, didn't stopped bragging about all the work she had with others celebrities in the capitol. It was tiring to hear her talk.

As everybody arrived to the plaza and was placed in their aged group, Finnick and Mags were on the stage hopping that everything would end soon. Mags took his hand when he saw him shacking. The idea of going back to the capitol made him sick. He knew Snow would take advantage of his presence so he would have to fuck more women than usual as he did last year. The video started and the whole district fell quiet.

The district escort, Ellectra, acted very excited to be there and as soon as the video ended her turn to pick the tributes started after saying in her annoying capitol voice "ladies first" she picked a paper from one of the glass balls and read the name. Finnick's heart was going faster he didn't wanted Annie to get pick.

"Penelope Waters" said Electra and Finnick felt like he could breath again. The girl was no older than 13 years old. She had blonde hair and her skin was pale. She look innocent and adorable but everybody knew she wouldn't make it past the blood bath.

"Now for the boys… Tyler Dawson" she said as a 15 year old boy made his way to the stage. He was visually shaking and he had tears that he was holding back. It wasn't fair that they had to go through this. It wasn't fair that they had to die.

Finnick didn't liked being a mentor. Every time one of his tributes died he felt he had more blood in his hands. He felt it was his fault somehow that he could have saved them if he had done things differently. Also he had more clients than ever. Last year it was so bad that he vomited three times when he got home from all the hard work and the dehydration. This year was no difference after meeting his tributes and talking about their skills he got a called from the capitol telling him he had to escort an important women. This meant he wasn't coming to sleep to the training centre that night. He felt trapped because he didn't have a choice to say no. Consent was one of the many things Snow had taken from him. His emotions didn't mater, his traumas didn't matter. Not even his life matter. He was just a toy that all those women handle without regret.

The days went on and soon his tributes enter the arena and died in the blood bath. Mags tried to talk to him, to cheer him up but he didn't wanted to talk to anybody so he went downstairs to the bar and did the only thing he could think to help him forget: get drunk. He sat there and order two shots, next to him was district 12 only mentor, Haymitch.

"Cheers, golden boy, let's celebrate the death of our tributes" said the old man holding his glass up. Like usually the district 12 tributes had died in the blood bath killed by the careers.

"Celebrate? They are dead? There's nothing to celebrate"

"No, golden boy, you are mistaking. This is the real hell. Death is paradise compare to this life that we both have to live. You fucking all women for Snow and me dying with a bottle in my hand after a life of horrible traumas. They don't tell you this but the lucky ones are the ones who die in the arena" said Haymitch laughing.

"There must be something we can do to end this. Someone has to appear. We can't keep living like this following Snows order and training kids to kill each other. There must be something we can do to stop the games"

"You still have hope. I remember when I came out of the arena and I thought exactly like you but after they kill my family I gave up just like you will sooner or later"

"I won't give up. There's have to be more than just this miserable life" he said with conviction.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. I will try to update every week. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any suggestions or ideas for the story be sure to let me now in the reviews.**


	7. Chapter 7

Finnick returned to district 4 after twelve days of emotional torture in the Capitol. His talked with Haymitch made him realised how much he hated, not just Snow, but also the capitol people who worship him and praised all his bullshit about the hunger games. It was repulsive to see kids who aspire to be Victors. He had to admit he used to be one of them. When he was younger he thought that being a victor was the best life he could possibly have. Sure he never wanted to go through the games and the thought of it scared him but the idea of winning wasn't so bad. Having a mansion, a lot of money to spend for the rest of your life and being a hero and celebrity to everyone didn't sounded too bad, but that was hardly the reality of being a victor. Now he had all those things and wished for a simple life.

He didn't go to work that day. He just wasn't able to. Though the next day he managed to stand up, dry his tears and go to the markets to see Annie and Brian.

Annie was working on the cashier when he got there but Brian was nowhere to be seen. As Finnick got closer Annie ran to him and gave him a big hug. The young victor felt over joy with happiness to see her again.

"It's so nice to see you, Annie. I've missed home so much"

"We've missed you too. I'm sorry they didn't made it. You know it's not your fault, right?" she asked with concern. The young women could see that her friend wasn't feeling well. His eyes were red and he looked like he needed to sleep for days.

"I am alright, don't worry about me. How is everything going around here? Where you desperately needing me?" joked Finnick.

"You wish" she answered laughing and the young victor fell in love with her smile. He was grateful to have her in her life, even if they couldn't be together. He had missed her so much during his stay in the capitol.

"Hi Finn. It's so nice to see you" said a voice near them interrupting his thoughts. It was Tania.

"Hi Tania. It's nice to see you too. Is that a new dress you are wearing?" he said. He didn't like Tania that much, but he was curious to see Annie's reaction. Would she be at least a little jealous?

"It is actually. Thank you for noticing"

"How could I not notice? You look amazing in it"

"You know Finn? Brian told me he needed some help in the storage. You should probably go and give him a hand" said Annie interrupting their conversation and emphasising his nickname.

"Really? Well… I guess it's goodbye for now, Tania. I am sure we will meet again" he said with a wink.

"Bye, Finn" she said softly while Annie couldn't helped rolling her eyes at them. She had to admit that something about their conversation made her angry. The way he flirted with her like if he really liked her bothered her so much.

"And Tania she doesn't know a thing about Finnick. She probably just thinks he is hot like all those girls that want to be always around him and how dare she use Finn with him? I am the only person that calls him that. It's something just between us and why did he played alone? Does he actually like her? No, he is just probably being stupid. He can't like her. He doesn't know her and she doesn't deserve somebody so nice, caring and wonderful like him" though Annie not wanting to admit to herself that she was jealous.

"Why are you smiling?" Asked Brian when he and Finnick were working organising the storage together.

"No reason" he answered trying to hide his smile.

"Does it perhaps have to do with Annie? Why don't you just admit that you are in love with her? I known you since you were born and I can tell that there is something going on by the way you look at her. I may not be an expert on love but I can recognise that look really well. You can't fool me boy"

"Is it the same way you look at Tom?"

"What-what are you talking about?" he answer nervously.

"I wanted to tell you but I couldn't find the right time. The day Annie and I went to have lunch on your boat we saw you with Tom after we left. I think is good that you are happy and Tom seems like a really nice person. Annie even said to me that he looks at you the same way her father used to look at her mother. You can't really fake those things. I just wished that you had told us before. We consider you our friend" said the victor with a warm smile.

"I wanted to. I just didn't know how and I was afraid of your reactions. People are not comfortable with seeing two men together in that way. That's why I never expect something good from anyone…well except from Tom. That is one of the things I love about him, he is just so selfless. I am happy that you guys know about us now" said Brian holding back tears. Finnick just smiled and gave him a friendly pat thinking how similar Tom and Annie were.

"I…I kind of have feelings for Annie" he lied. He just didn't have feelings for her. He was madly and utterly in love. Unfortunately for him Brian could see past his words.

"Does she have feelings for you?"

"I don't know. Before I went to the Capitol she was hanging out with David, remember? And now she acts jealous when I flirt with Tania. I don't understand her"

"Well… I must admit that David has been around here a lot lately and Annie seems happy to have him around but there's something about that kid that I don't like"

"He's a jerk. Like I have told you before he doesn't deserve her"

"You are saying that because you're jealous and you want to be the one who is with her"

"Annie and I can't be together. We are not meant to be"

"What are you talking about? You are perfect for each other. Tom and I were not meant to be, but that didn't stopped us. What is holding you back?"

"It's complicated. I am going to take this to Tania so she can pack them if she needs them" he said trying to make he's way out of the conversation. The man didn't pushed. He knew Finnick would come back to his senses eventually.

Brian and Finnick didn't talk much after that. The man knew how to respect his boundaries. If Finnick wanted to tell him something he would. After their conversation he started to have a deep respect for his young workers. They were like the kids he never had.

Finnick couldn't stop thinking about Annie reciprocating his feelings. It was a thought that scared him and excited him at the same time. He knew that if she had feelings for him being friends will be close to impossible. He didn't want to loose their friendship but at the same time he wanted to be hers, and only hers. He often found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss her, to touch her and to be able to love her without any limitations. Unfortunately he was stuck in a reality were Snow ruled his life.

When his shift was over he made his way to Annie as they usually did when they finished working. She was at the cashier just finishing with her last customer.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes…I just remember that I told Mags I would come over to visit her. Do you want to come with me? I am sure she would be happy to see you" he said and she nodded with a smile.

Finnick was right Mags was delighted to see the young women. They had met over a year ago and they both got along wonderfully. Mags was like the grandmother Annie had always wished to have.

"I thought you had forgotten to come" joked the old women.

"To be honest I almost forgot"

"So Annie what have you been doing this past two weeks? Our time in the Capitol couldn't possibly have been more boring" asked the women.

"Oh…not much. Just working with Brian like usual" she answered in a shy voice hiding something.

"So…you didn't see David at all?" asked Finnick trying to be casual.

"I have actually. He has visited the markets a lot lately so we've hang out"

"Great. I think Tania and I will go to the beach this weekend"

"Great" she said and her words were followed by a long uncomfortable silence between them. The young victor had lied to see if she truly was jealous. He had no intention of meeting up with Tania. Mags was the one who broke the silence by asking if they were hungry. They all were so they had a fish that the old women was preparing that turned out to be delicious.

They spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and telling stories. Mags, like always, had the best ones. She even told a story about how stupid and superficial Electra was. The Capitol escort had once wore a hat full of feathers and fake birds. The hat was so big that she had to take it off every thirty minutes but the way Mags described it made them laugh hysterically. They were having such a good time that Finnick forgot for a moment everything that tormented him. Snow, his victims, the games and his feelings of worthless were all gone in the company of does two women.

Around five o'clock Annie had to go home so Finnick, like always, decided to make her company even if she protested saying that she could go on her own. He knew that, but he just enjoyed walking and talking to her. When they were closer to her home Annie tripped and hurt her foot with a piece of glass. Her foot started to bleed on the floor.

"Fuck. I am so stupid"

"You are not stupid that can happen to anyone. Are you alright?" He asked concern kneeling next to her on the floor.

"Yes. I just need a minute to stop the bleeding" she answered ripping a part of her clothes and wrapping it around the wound. It hurt, but she was trying to hide the pain.

"Are you serious? You can't walked like that. It can get even worse or infected"

"What are you suggesting? I can't just stay here, besides I am sure I can manage to walk"

"I have an idea but you are not going to like it" he said and put his arms around her picking her up from the ground.

"Finnick, put me down. I don't like this" she protested but couldn't help herself to laugh. He laughed as well holding her firmly.

"I can drop you right now if you want" he joked and she laughed giving him a tiny punch on the shoulder. They were both really happy and the young victor couldn't help to think that maybe he and Annie could be together after all. That maybe she would like to be with him despite everything he had done, despite the fact that he had to be with other women to keep his love ones safe. Could that reality exist?

When they got closer to her home the young victor grabbed her by the waist and faced her. They were so close to each other that he couldn't resist to give her a kiss but… before he could do that a voice interrupted him. It was David.

"David. What are you doing here? I thought you were coming to visit me tomorrow" said Annie embarrassed leaving Finnick's arm and sitting on her porch to talk to the boy.

"I just couldn't resist. I wanted to see you"

"I should get going. Are you sure you are alright?" he answer and the girl just nodded with a shy smile. "If you need anything don't doubt to call me. I'll be here as fast as I can" he said leaving but she grabbed his hand for a moment stopping him.

"Thank you, Finn. You are a great friend" she said and the young victor felt a strong pain in his chest. He now realised that the thought of Annie wanting to be with him was impossible. How could she love him when he was a monster? As he was leaving he wished more than anything to have David's life. He wished to be free.

* * *

 **So what do you think about David and Annie? And what about this new side of Brian? Anyway Thank you for reading. I will try to update every week. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any suggestions or ideas for the story be sure to let me now in the reviews.**


	8. Chapter 8

It wasn't long before Annie and David started dating and every time Finnick saw them together he felt an uncontrollable ache in his chest. The young victor had suffered many horrible experience in his short life but seeing her with another guy was a pain he had never suspected to experience with his best friend. He had always seen her like a sister, like something platonic. He didn't even liked her when they first met but now he had fallen in love with her. He decided to try to get along with David after all he made Annie happy which was something he knew he could never give her. He avoided them when they were together he just couldn't stand it but he still saw Annie everyday like they used to before David. Sometimes she would leave the beach earlier and Finnick didn't walk her home anymore because he knew David would be there.

It was a rainy day. It usually didn't rain that much on district 4 so he and Annie spent the rest of their afternoon at her house reading books. Her house was small with only two rooms and it didn't had a lot of furniture but somehow Finnick preferred it way more than his mansion. It had a warm element that he could never find in the other house.

"I think Marius is an idiot" said Annie as they were reading Les Miserables on her couch.

"Why?"

"Because he abandoned his friends for someone he had just met and they way he treated Éponine after all she had done for him and then he goes to the barricade to die because Cossette left and he acts like a hero when the real heroes are Enjolras and Mabeuf and the ones who were there to die for the real cause"

"Loves makes you do crazy things"

"That doesn't justify it. You can be in love but that doesn't mean that you will forget all your principals and loose your senses"

"I kind of feel bad for him. When you are in love you don't really think at all. You act impulsively and then you realise your mistakes when it's too late"

"Have you ever been in love, Finn?" she asked looking at him in the eyes.

"I-I don't know. Why are you asking?"

"You seem to relate to Marius somehow. I am sure there must be someone…maybe not here but perhaps in the capitol. There are a lot of beautiful girls there" she said in a small voice scared of her words but the young victor just laughed. If only she knew who he love.

"I don't like the girls in the capitol. They are all so fake like if they were made of plastic. They claim to be in love with me when they don't really know me" he said. It felt weird to talk about love with her. It was the first time she had asked and it came as a surprise to him. They knew each other so well but that was a part of Finnick he wanted to keep in secret. "Aren't you in love with David?" he asked but regretted immediately.

"No, I don't think so. David is nice but we don't really know each other that well" she answered blushing. He didn't know what to say so Annie just continue reading the next chapter of the book still intrigued about the person Finnick was in love with.

After reading they had lunch with Annie's father, who seem surprisingly happy to have a guest. John Cresta was a talkative man and he enjoyed spending time with the young victor. They understood each other. Finnick was the only person, besides his daughter, who didn't saw him as a helpless man and he didn't pity him for the death of his wife and John saw the victor just like a regular teenager which made Finnick have a profound respect for the man. He hated when people praised him for his games.

When he left the Cresta's resident he headed to Mags house to talk to her about something that didn't leave him alone. His feelings for Annie.

"Are you alright, my boy? You seem sad" she said concern.

"There's something going on and I don't know how to deal with it or how to stop it. Lately I have been having feelings that I had never had before for someone and I don't want to keep feeling like this. Does it make sense?"

"So you are in love with Annie but you don't want to be with her because…?" she asked knowing for a long time his feeling towards the young women. Was he that obvious?

"Because I have to fuck random women so Snow won't kill the people that I love and being with her will put her in even more danger. I thought it was obvious why I can't be with her"

"My boy…sometimes you can't deny yourself the pleasures that come with life. If Annie wants to be with you despite that then you should embrace it rather than walk away from it. I regret many things in my life like never having children. I always wanted to be a mother but I gave up that dream fearing not been able to protect them but now that I am old I realised that Snow wants that from us. He wants us to give up hope in our dreams and in our happiness so he can have more control over us. You can't give him that pleasure. He doesn't deserve it but you do, after all you had to suffered because of him"

"But I can't put her in danger. If something were to happen to her because of me I would never be able to forgive myself. I must keep her safe"

"Love is about taking risk and I think she would be happier to be with you rather than to be without you and safe"

Mags words confused Finnick even more. He thought, out of all people, she would be the one to understand but she acted in a completely different way than he had imagine. What if she was right? No, she couldn't be. Nobody understood him because nobody was in his position. It was something he had to faced alone so he did they only thing that made sense to him at that moment. He got drunk.

He knew were to get alcohol in the district. There were some people that sold them when the peacekeepers were not around so when the young victor got there he bought two bottles of a transparent liquid called vodka and made his way to the beach. He had always loved the beach as long as he could remember but that afternoon he felt a certain nostalgia to be there. The beach wasn't a place to be happy anymore. It was a place that reminded him of Annie. Most of his memories with her had taken place at the beach. He didn't know why he was there. So he sat on the sand and opened the first bottle. It smelled really strong and as he started to drink it he felt like if his throat was burning but as he kept drinking more and more the pain faded away.

An hour later he was completely drank lying in the sand with a empty bottle next to him that's when things started to get weird. He was laughing to himself when he heard a familiar voice near by.

"Finn. What are you doing here?" she said. His vision was blurry from all the sand that had gotten into his eyes but it had to be her. It had to be the girl that was causing all his pains. It had to be Annie. "Are you drunk?" she laughed and sat next to him.

"No. Why do you…why do you think I am?" he mumbled.

"Because you have two bottles of alcohol and one if them is empty and you are talking really strange"

"What-what if I am drunk?" he said and she just laughed. " Why would you care anyway?"

"I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't meant it. I just saw you lying here and I came over because I was curious to see what you were doing"

"You can never offend me" he responded with a smile making his way closer to her still not been able to see properly. "You know…there is…there is something I have always wanted to do" he mumbled as she was moving closer to him and he kissed her not really being able to feel her mouth due to him being under the influence but his drunk self was filled with happiness. "I have been in love with you for…long time and I didn't say…because I was afraid of ruining our friendship" he continued to mumble but she wasn't paying attention to his words anymore. She was more focuses on the kiss.

The kiss was weird, it was not like he had imagined but he didn't care because he was kissing the only girl he was truly and deeply in love with.

"Look I have to go right now but I suppose we can pick this another time?" she said.

"Yeah…yeah"

"Wonderful. I had a great time. Bye Finnick" she said as she was leaving. The young victor couldn't possibly feel any happier. Annie was in love with him too. How could he be afraid of that? He was thinking to himself as his eyes started to close…

He woke up when he felt cold water running down his face. It was Brian with an annoyed expression and a red empty bucket in his hand. Annie was standing next to him with a look of concern in her eyes. When he woke up a horrible sensation of dehydration hit him immediately. He couldn't remember were he was or what had happen.

"It was time for you to get up. What the hell where you thinking? Your parents were worried to death about you not coming home yesterday while you were having the best time of your life getting drunk. What the hell Finnick? You can't just do that to your parents. Do you have something to say for yourself, boy?" said Brian almost yelling.

"Where…where am I?" he asked in response when he started to feel a horrible headache. He just wanted to be somewhere darker without so many noises.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I honestly can't deal with this right now. You deal with him if you want" he said to Annie and left. Fortunately for them it was their day off so they didn't had to go to work otherwise Brian would have been ten times angrier.

When he left Finnick wanted to get up but his legs were failing him and he needed some help so Annie grabbed him by the arms and pulled him towards her gently.

"Are you alright?" she asked and he just nodded in return. "Where were you? We were all worried about you. Nobody knew where you went and you didn't even say anything. Brian and your father have been looking for you all morning"

"What are you talking about? You saw me last night" he said as his memory started to function, suddenly he remember the taste of her lips and a fear invaded his whole body.

"What? I haven't seen you after we had lunch at my house"

"That can't be. You were here and we… talk, remember?"

"You must have been really drunk because I didn't leave my house at all yesterday after my shift" she said and he decided not to push it any further. Perhaps it was just his drunk mind making up a fantasy or maybe it had all been just a dream. It was for the better that nothing had truly happen between them.

"Can we go somewhere else, please? I can't stand this sun"

"Do you want to go to your house? Your parents are really worry"

"Can we go to your house? I don't want them to see me like this" said Finnick with embarrassment. Annie just nodded and they both headed to her house. She didn't understand him completely but she wanted to help him either way.

When they got to her house he decided to call his parents first, to let them know that he was alright.

"Hi, mum. It's me, Finnick"

"Finnick…we were so worried about you. Your father and Brian had been looking for you everywhere. Where are you right now? Are you ok? Has something happen? You can tell me" she said with a lot of concern in her voice.

"I'm fine. I am at Annie's house right now. I sorry for everything…I should have said something before I left. I was just not thinking…"

"Are you sure everything is alright? When are you coming home?"

"Everything is fine. I will come home in a while I just need to clear my head first. Are you alright? Is dad angry at me?"

"No he is not angry…just really worry like the rest of us. You know you can tell us everything, right? We would understand or at least try to"

"I know, mum. I know" he said softly before ending the call. Annie was watching him nervously with sadness in her eyes. She extended her hand and he took it to guide him to a spare room in the end of the hallway. The room had pictures of a women that looked like her and suit cases full of clothes. It all belonged to Annie's mother.

"Why is all this here?" he asked as they were laying on the carpet facing the ceiling.

"After my mum died. My dad took all her things and all the pictures that we had of her and threw them here. He says it was killing him to have all those memories close to him. I guess he didn't realised at the moment that memories are not objects"

"Do you miss her?"

"Yes… I mean I don't remember her that well but sometimes I wonder how different everything would have been if she still was alive" she answered trying not to cry. Finnick had never asked about her mother before, it was a subject they avoided just like they avoided talking about his hunger games. "I wish my dad could know that it wasn't his fault. It kills me to see him blame himself everyday"

"At least he has you to keep him sane. When things like that happen is impossible not to feel guilty or to loose it a little bit"

"Is that how you feel about your games?"she asked regretting it immediately but surprisingly the young victor didn't get upset.

"Yes…it's only ten times worse. I wish I wasn't a victor, maybe it would have been easier just to die in there but it is my fault after all I killed them and now I relived those moments everyday in my head wishing I hadn't" he said looking at her with tears in his eyes.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't invented the games. The only person to blame is Snow" she said putting her head in his chest and for once Finnick though he could talk about the games if it meant to have her that close to him.

* * *

 **So what do you think will happen in their relationship? Was their kiss a drunken dream?** **Anyway Thank you for reading. I will try to update every week. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any suggestions or ideas for the story be sure to let me now in the reviews.**


	9. Chapter 9

The next day they had to go to work and Finnick wasn't looking forward to it. He was still recovering from his massive hang over and he knew Brian would still be angry at him but he also knew that not going to work would only make things worse between them so he eventually got up and headed to the markets thirty minutes earlier than his shift.

"Hi Finn" said a flirty voice next to him. He just smiled at her not in the mood for a conversation. "You are here early…"

"I just wanted to talk to Brian before my shift. Do you know if he is already here?"

"No, but he should be here any second" she said and he just nodded in return. "You can tell me the truth, Finnick. Are you really here to talk to Brian or you just wanted to see me?"

"No, I just need to talk to him" he said smiling feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Really? Well I just thought that you wanted to see me after what happen in the beach…" she said in a flirtatious way getting closer to him.

"What are you talking…?" he asked but didn't finished his sentence. It had finally hit him. It hadn't been a dream but he hadn't kissed Annie. He had kissed Tania. He definitely was very drunk, way beyond his limit. A lot of thoughts were running to his head as Tania started to lean forward to kiss him again. "Look! There's Brian. I have to go to talk to him. Is pretty urgent. We'll talk later" he said leaving trying to get out of the situation. How did he ended up in this?

"Brian! Can we talk, please?"

"You are here early. That's a first. Anyway what is it that you want to talk about?" the man answer as he was opening his stall.

"I want to apologise for what happen. I wasn't thinking when I left without notice. I shouldn't have put you guys through all of that. It was selfish and I also wanted to thank you for worrying about me. It means a lot to know that you care".

"Just forget about it but next time you want to get drunk call me first so I can help you with those bottles" he joked. "Just don't do it again" he added in a more serious tone after a while.

"Brian…there's something I need to talk to you about".

* * *

Annie was late for her shift for the first time. She didn't get any sleep the night before. She couldn't stop thinking about her mother after admitting to Finnick how she felt. It was a secret she hadn't told anybody, not even her father. She wanted to be strong and she was but she couldn't helped crying some nights were the memories of her mother were more present. Telling her friend how she felt was relieving, not hidden her feelings anymore made her feel lighter. She was grateful to have him in her life.

When she got to the markets she rushed to the stall and hopped that Brian wouldn't notice her lateness. Lucky for her he was busy talking to Finnick next to the cashier so she started her shift working on packing the deliveries with Tania. Annie could notice that something was going on with her…she seemed happier.

"Why are you so happy today?" asked Annie smiling with her friend.

"I don't know... is difficult to tell you"

"Don't worry. I am sure I would understand"

"Alright but you have to promise me that you won't tell Finnick a word of what we are going to talk about. I know you and him are friends but you can't tell him anything" she said as Annie's face change into a look of confusion.

"I promise. What does he have to do with all of this?"

"Yesterday, when I was going home I saw him laying in the beach and I thought it would be a good idea to see what his doing so we ended up talking and I don't know what happened but he kissed me and he even told me that he loves me. Can you believe that? Finnick and me? It feels like a dream. At first I hesitate but I remember your words about how we would make a great couple so I just went for it. He was completely drunk but you can't lie about those things" she answered and immediately Annie felt weird and angry. Why was she angry?

"That's great. Good for you two" she said trying to hide her sarcasm to Tania.

"You don't seem to happy. Is there something that I don't know about you and Finnick?"

"What? No, no, I am just not feeling to well. Yesterday I had a bad night for some reason I couldn't sleep" she lied not even understanding her own feeling towards the golden boy. She knew she felt angry and betrayed like if he had done something to her. It was horrible. There was a strange ache in her chest and her heart beat was irregular.

Why wasn't she happy? She always said that Finnick and Tania would make a perfect couple but now that it was starting to come true she couldn't help feeling…something different that wasn't what she had expected. She couldn't be jealous she had a boyfriend that she really liked and they had always being just friends.

"It's impossible I can't have feelings for him" she thought as she continue with her work.

* * *

After the young victor was done telling the man what had happen the day before he remain silent for a couple of minutes not knowing what to say.

"Let me get this right. You got drunk on the beach and you were so drunk that you thought that Tania was Annie?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"I also had sand on my eyes so I couldn't see properly, but yes, that was what happen and I just realised it an hour ago when Tania tried to kiss me"

"You know why those thing happen to you, boy?"

"Because I am stupid?"

"Yes, because you are stupid" he said as his words were follow by a short silence. "So…what are you going to do?"

"I have to tell Tania that what happen was a drunken mistake and hopefully she won't hate me for long but I doubt it"

"What about Annie?"

"What about her?"

"Finnick, you obviously are in love with her and I think she will soon start to feel the same way. If you say you can't be together how can you be friends if you have feelings for each other?" asked the man. He had thought about it before but at least he felt safe for now because David was around and he also thought that he could hide how he felt and keep it like a secret. He was so wrong.

"She doesn't have feelings for me. She is with David and they seem to be happy"

"You really are stupid. Life is not just about surviving and playing it safe. Life is about taking risks, you have to learn how to be alive. Existing is easy but living is another story" he said before returning to work leaving the young man thinking about his words.

After hearing Tania's story Annie couldn't concentrate properly the rest of the afternoon. She was packing incorrect stuff into the delivering boxes and she had to double check before handing them to the customers. Normally Annie was great at her job but today was an exception. She was distracted for some reason. Brian did notice and told her to change with Finnick who was working on the cashier. It was a bad day for her so when her shift ended she felt relief but there was another problem. She didn't know if she should talk to Finnick about Tania. The thought of talking to him made her nervous.

"You can't just ask him about it. It's not your business if he wants to be with Tania. You should be happy for them, but how can I be happy when she doesn't even know him? She just wants to be with him because he is a victor. She's so superficial" she started to mumble to herself angrily.

"What was that?" asked a voice near her. "Are you ok? You seem angry" he said getting closer to hold her hand.

"Yes, a little bit tired but fine" she said smiling. "What are you doing here? I thought we were going to see each other tomorrow"

"I can go if you want to"

"No, no, of course I don't want you to go, David. I am just surprise"

"Look, I know you and Finnick have to do stuff but I really wanted to see you. Do you think you can tell him that you are not hanging out with him just for today?" asked David. She didn't know what to say as much as she was angry she was still concern for her friend, but he was with Tania now. He would understand if she went with David so she just nodded and took his hand.

The young victor had just finished his shift when he couldn't find Annie. She wasn't at the cashier anymore and she had not said anything to him earlier which was strange, but Tania was around so he decided to clear things up with her.

"Hey. Have you seen Annie?" he asked.

"She just left with David. You know you can talk to me when ever? You don't have to pretend that you really want to know where she is" the girl answer in a flirtatious way.

"Tania, listen. We need to talk"

"We can talk later…" she said kissing him, but he pulled her away gently.

"I'm serious" he said and she started to listen confused. "The day you found me on the beach I was really drunk. I don't what happen exactly I didn't remember anything at first. I know that I kissed you and told you a lot of things but it was just a drunken mistake. I am sorry for putting you through all of this. You didn't do anything wrong. You are a wonderful and beautiful person and I hope you can forgive me"

"I wasn't expecting this… I mean I probably should have thought more about it. You were clearly drunk but you just seemed genuine"

"I… am sorry. I should have talk to you earlier"

"So…is it Annie?"

"What?"

"Is she the girl that you are in love with? You said that you made a drunken mistake and now that I think about it is clearly her after all the things that you said that night about being afraid of ruining your friendship if you told her how much you love her"

"It was none sense. I wasn't thinking properly, besides she has a boyfriend" he said trying to sound convincing. Still Tania couldn't believe him but at least she wasn't angry. She was just confused about the whole situation.

"Well… You probably don't care but she seemed jealous when I told her what had happen" she said before leaving.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Remember if you want to see something in this fanfic I am open to suggestions, just write it in the reviews or message me.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It wasn't long before Finnick had to go to the capitol by Snows order. He border the train dreading that he was going to have sex with another stranger but there was another thought he couldn't get out of his head.

"Was Tania telling the truth? Was Annie jealous?" he couldn't help thinking. The idea of it being true worried him more than usual. If she had feelings for him they wouldn't be able to be friends any longer. They couldn't be together. It was a dream that was only made to exist in his mind were she was safe. He had hoped though, that maybe one day he could spent the rest of his days with just Annie by his side and where Snow didn't care about him anymore but it was a reality almost impossible to come true.

When arrived to his destination their was a limousine waiting for him like usual and he thought that it was taking him to his next client but instead he arrived to the place he hated more in his life. He was in front of a big white mansion that was always present in his nightmares. He didn't want to go inside but he knew there wasn't any other option. One of the security guards took him to the same room he had been many times before. Not long after he sat down the president enter with his strong smell of roses.

"Mr. Odair I hope you haven't been waiting for long" he said shacking his hand.

"No, I have just arrived"

"Good. You might be wondering what I brought you here for? It has come to my attention that you are doing a wonderful job however there's something that I think you can change. I know your behaviour with your clients is spectacular but you don't seem to appreciate the company of other women who also want to talk to you"

"What do you mean exactly?" he answered starting to get angry.

"When you go to the parties I send you, or you make a public appearance you are not so gentle with the women who are not your clients and that it's no good at all. How are they supposed to want you if you are a jerk to them?"

"Why should I be 'gentle' to them if they haven't pay?"

"Because Mr. Odair it is not good for the business most of the women who want to talk to you are potential clients. All I am asking is for a little bit of kindness there is no need to get mad" he said with his malicious smile.

"Kindness? You are asking me for kindness when you are the most detrimental person I have ever met" said the victor containing himself from hitting the man but Snow just laughed at him.

"You have no idea all the things I can do. I have being kind to you by letting your parents alone and also that old friend of yours. Brian? I believe is his name and let's not forget about little Miss Cresta it would be strange if they were to disappear out of nowhere. Well it's just a thought after all. So do we have a deal? Will you be kinder to those women next time you see them?" he asked and Finnick was having trouble containing his tears so he just nodded firmly.

"Good. I believe you know your way out. The limousine must be waiting to take you to one of your usual clients. I hope you have a good day Mr. Odair" he said shacking his hand again before leaving.

* * *

While Finnick was away Annie couldn't helped to miss him. She was angry at him for some reason she wasn't going to admit but she still found herself everyday waiting for him to come back. On the other hand David loved when the young victor wasn't around. He got to spend more time with his girlfriend and he didn't have to see his stupid face. He knew he was jealous. There was something strange going on between them. He trusted Annie, but she had been acting strange lately and he certainly didn't trust Finnick. It was a nice morning in the district and they both where in the docks talking to each other calmly but that didn't last long.

"I want to talk to you about something" he said holding her hand as the girl was smiling. "I really like you, Annie but I don't understand your friendship with Finnick"

"What don't you understand?"

"Don't you find it weird that he just wants to be your 'friend'? I do and I don't trust him. Have you ever consider that maybe his using you?"

"Using me for what?" she said letting go of his hand and becoming angrier by the second.

"I just don't think that he wants to be just your friend and I know Finnick, we were friends before and I really don't like him. He's a show off and an arrogant and I don't understand how can you not see that?"

"Finnick is my friend and I know him more than you do so I don't think is fair that you say does things about him. There's nothing going on between him and me if that is what you are worry about"

"I know there's nothing going on between you two, but I can see the way he looks at you and he acts different when he is around you. I can see he's got feelings for you. The other day when I was waiting in your house and you had hurt your foot he acted really concern about you, too concern"

"Well… What do you want me to do? It's not my fault he's a good friend, David"

"I'm sorry but I can't do this with him around so is either him or me? You decide"

"Are you seriously telling me that we won't be together if I continue to be friends with him?" she said and he just nodded with confidence thinking that she would choose him over the young victor."I can't believe this… I choose Finnick because he is not as selfish and controlling as you are. Don't ever ask anybody to do that again" she said softly walking away from him.

After her conversation with David she felt all her anger pouring out of her as she was making her way to the market to start her shift. She didn't understand how could he think that something might happen between her and the young victor and he was really sure that he was in love with her. Of course for Annie that couldn't be true. He and Tania had kissed and they probably would start dating soon. It was frustrating because she really liked David but he screwed everything up due to his controlling attitude and she was never going to choose him over Finnick.

"He is one of the best persons I have ever met and David is just blinded to that because of all the envy that he has, besides even if I was with Finnick he would never ask me something of that kind. He would be the best boyfriend any girl could have… Tania is so lucky. I wish he could have feelings for me" she thought in her head before realising what she was saying. "What did I just say? I am talking nonsense I am not in love with him. He is like a brother to me. I just probably feel like this due to my break up with David. Yes that's it" she added trying to convince herself.

The markets were not as busy as usual which was good for her at the moment because she didn't feel like dealing with a lot of people. She was early like always so she went to help Tania with packing the orders. Annie couldn't help feeling angry and her feelings for her best friend annoyed her. She didn't know what she felt exactly for him, but she wanted to believed that it was no more than platonic friendship. As her thoughts were running in her mind she didn't realised that she was doing the packing completely wrong.

"Annie, what are you doing? You weren't supposed to put those things in that basket. You have to read the list is right next to you" said Tania pointing at the paper.

"Oh I didn't notice. I'm sorry I just have a lot in my head right now. I promise I will do it right from now on"

"Are you feeling well? You are usually the one correcting me. Did something happen? You know you can always talk to me"

"I just had a terrible morning…David and I broke up a few minutes ago"

"I am sorry to hear that. Why did you guys break up?"

"He started to act controlling and he wanted me to choose him over someone. When he clearly doesn't know how thing really are and I am just mad and confused and to be honest I don't want to talk to him again"

"Why was he controlling? What did he made you choose?" she said in the most calm and friendly voice ever. "You can tell me Annie. I won't judge I want to help you" she added and it was true. Tania always wanted to give advice and help others. The young girl hesitated a few minutes before speaking unsure of what to say.

"He thinks that Finnick is in love with me and he told me in other words that if I don't stop seeing him we couldn't be together because he was not going to take it"

"Well that's a bit stupid of his part. If he thinks something is happening between you two he should have talk to you first and said what made him uncomfortable in the relationship rather than trying to control you by making you choose between the two of them and fucking everything up"

"That's what I thought and he is crazy to think that Finnick loves me. I mean he clearly sees me as a sister just like I see him like a brother"

"Well he is not wrong to think that" said Tania with a small smile.

"What do you mean? You just said that he fuck everything up"

"Yes, but he is not wrong to think that Finnick has feelings for you and if you ask me I think he really is in love with you"

"What? I don't understand why would you say that? You and him are almost dating"

"No, I was wrong. He talked to me and told me he had made a drunken mistake. It was my fault to think more of it, but before he had kissed me he told me a lot of things that didn't make sense in the moment because they were not directed to me. They were for you to hear…"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. I am sorry for not updating sooner. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I would like to hear your opinion or thoughts on the story in the reviews**.


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